Is Chrome OS right for you? A three-query quiz to discover

Google’s Chrome OS is one of the world’s most misunderstood computing structures. Chromebooks are foundationally distinct from conventional PCs, in spite of everything — and therefore, there are a variety of misconceptions approximately how they work and what they can and can not do.

Since people are usually asking me whether or not a Chromebook is probably right for their desires, I idea I’d prepare a short manual to assist any such wanderers parent it out. Whether it is you or a person you recognize who is curious, the subsequent 3 questions should help shed a few light on what the platform’s all approximately and for whom it makes feel.

1. Do you spend a maximum of it slow the use of the web and internet-centric services?

Think cautiously right here, as the answer may wonder you: What do you do most customarily on a computer?

If the general public of a while is spent in an internet browser — whether it’s studying news tales, browsing social media, or using internet-centric services like Gmail and Google Docs — then Chrome OS could probably meet your desires just quality. In reality, there may be an awesome hazard it clearly makes matters simpler than what you’re used to with a conventional PC setup (extra on why in a minute).

Now, it is crucial to observe that simply due to the fact something is “net-centric” doesn’t always suggest you have to be on-line in order for it to paintings. One of the most common misconceptions I hear approximately Chromebooks is that they’re completely vain without an active internet connection. In fact, a massive and ever-increasing variety of Chrome OS-well matched apps work both online and off, together with such things as Gmail and Google Docs in addition to calculator apps, calendar apps, news-studying apps, video games, or even Google Play Movies. (You can browse thru the “Offline” section of Google’s Chrome Web Store for lots extra examples.)

The truth is that for most people, the use of a Chromebook offline isn’t always terribly distinctive than the usage of a conventional PC offline. You are not going to be able to get on the internet or download new content, glaringly, however apart from matters that inherently require a lively connection, there isn’t always a heck of a lot you would need to try this would not be to be had.

2. Do you have unique local applications that you clearly want, or ought to most of the belongings you do on a laptop be executed with net-centric (and/or Android app) equivalents?

Take a moment to reflect consideration on what programs you operate that are locally set up in your PC — such things as phrase processors, e-mail apps, image and video editing software, useful resource-extensive video games, or area of expertise software you want for your paintings.

Now reflect consideration on how a lot of those packages could or couldn’t be replaced with web-centric equivalents and/or Android apps — the latter of which are now to be had to install and use on a developing wide variety of Chrome OS gadgets (and make no mistake about it: Their presence is a pretty large deal).

If you operate Outlook for e-mail, as an instance, would you be ok with using both Microsoft’s Outlook.Com or Google’s Gmail instead — or with using the Outlook Android app? If you depend upon Microsoft Word in your PC, might Microsoft’s Office Online app or Google’s Google Docs utility do the trick just as well — or may want to you get by with the Word Android app, which requires a lively subscription for complete enhancing functionality? If you operate Adobe Photoshop for image enhancing, might a web-centric suite like Pixlr be powerful enough for your wishes — or could one of the many Android picture-editing apps (Adobe-made or in any other case) be sufficient to your wishes?

If the solutions are “yes” or even “perhaps,” then Chrome OS could give you the results you want. If, but, you have got precise neighborhood software that you without a doubt need and that has no appropriate internet-centric or Android app equal, entering into a Chromebook is probably a stretch. While Chrome OS has lots of feasible options for common ordinary computing responsibilities, you aren’t going to discover any strong multimedia editors designed for the internet, nor will you find net-centric variations of many uniqueness commercial enterprise programs that were created with Windows in thoughts. The Android app availability may fill a number of the one’s voids, but it can’t cover they all (in particular in terms of the custom corporate program category).

There is one greater asterisk to that: Google offers a simple tool referred to as Chrome Remote Desktop that helps you to tap into a traditional PC from a Chromebook and work on it remotely. With that tool, you could correctly use local PC software program through the Chromebook, supplied you have got a PC it’s on and available for the remote consultation. It’s now not absolutely ideal, but relying on your state of affairs and how regularly you operate the neighborhood PC software, it is probably enough to bridge the space.

Three. Try living handiest inside the Chrome browser in your PC for every week, without establishing any local applications. How does it feel?

This is the actual take a look at. And allow’s be clear: In order for this to paintings, you’ll probably make a few adjustments on your recurring — switching to internet-centric apps like Docs for word processing if you haven’t already, importing any pertinent documents to an internet garage carrier like Dropbox or Drive, and so forth. Spend a few minutes browsing thru the Chrome Web Store to locate the equipment you want, then supply it a sincere cross.

Optional: If you experience like you want the presence of Android apps to bridge the gap, seize Bluestacks — a free PC- and Mac-like minded application that helps you to use Android apps on a traditional-OS laptop. It isn’t ideal and is some distance much less native-feeling than what you may get with Chrome OS (it basically just puts an emulated Android tablet into a window on your display screen, and you then click around on it to install and run anything apps you need), however for these check-run functions, it must be suitable enough to offer you a fundamental idea of what kinds of matters you’ll and may not be capable of do.

If you could ignore your local PC programs for a week and get the entirety you want to be finished in your browser and/or in Android apps without plenty hassle, Chrome OS will absolutely be just right for you. If it’s a battle, you may need to assume two times about going the Chromebook route.

Now, understand that this is simply a simulation — a take a look at of the primary gear and boundaries of the Chrome OS surroundings. Crucially, even as the constraints are similar, using best a browser on a PC isn’t always the equal experience you’ll get on an actual Chromebook, Android apps or not. (That’s any other one of those pesky Chrome OS myths.)

As I’ve referred to earlier than, the reason Chrome OS would not run regular local apps and act like traditional PC surroundings is because the sort of man or woman the platform is designed for does not want regular local apps or conventional PC surroundings — and eliminating those factors allows a few appealing benefits to be brought in.